Full perineal wash system with removable seat

Abstract

Apparatus for a perineal wash system includes a seat with a pair of pads spaced apart front to back to define a gap. The pads and frame define front and rear access areas dimensioned to allow a caregiver to access the perineal area of a seated person. In various embodiments at least one pad is movable sideways and may include a biasing spring, an operating handle, and / or a latch. The seat is suitable for a shower chair, a wall-mounted chair, and a bathtub chair. A gas spring optionally lifts one end of the seat. In one embodiment a perineal washer is supported adjacent the seat. The washer receives a nozzle of a sprayer and redirects the spray through a movable conduit to direct liquid upward to the perineum. In one embodiment a commode pot below the seat has a gap sufficient to avoid pinching dangling body parts.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 12 / 579,640, filed Oct. 15, 2009. This application claims the right of priority of Canada Patent Application Number 2,717,608, filed Oct. 14, 2010, hereby incorporated by reference, which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 12 / 579,640, filed Oct. 15, 2009.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of Invention[0004]This invention pertains to a perineal wash system that provides for full access to the perineum, urethra, and genitalia of a seated person. More particularly, this invention pertains to a seat that allows a caregiver to fully access the perineum, urethra, and genitalia of a person sitting in the seat and to a perineal washer that redirects fluid from a hand-held spray nozzle that redirects fluid to the perineal area of the seated person.[0005]2. Description of the ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]According to one embodiment of the invention, a seat in two parts with the parts configured to support the buttocks of a person sitting on the seat, the two parts of the seat separated by a gap sufficiently large to allow access, front and rear, to the perineum of the seated person for a caregiver to clean the perineum area, is provided. In this way, the caregiver is able to wash and clean the perineum, urethra, and genitalia of a person who is not capable of caring for themselves, such as if the person is incontinent.

[0010]In one embodiment, the seat is incorporated in a chair, such as a shower chair. The seat includes a left pad and a right pad with a gap between the two pads. At the front of the seat, the chair supports are configured to provide a space sufficient to allow a caregiver to reach between the seat pads and clean the genital area and the perineal area of a person seated in the chair. At the rear of the seat, the chair supports are configured to provide a space sufficient to allow a caregiver to reach between the seat pads and clean the anal area and perineum of a person seated in the chair. In this way, the chair does not restrict access to the perineum of the occupant of the chair.

[0011]In one such embodiment, the chair is configured to allow the chair to be positioned over a waste receptacle extending upwards from the floor. That is, the frame of the chair defines a volume that is sized to receive the waste receptacle and the volume is not bounded on the rear of the chair and on the bottom of the chair. For example, the chair has frame that is open on the rear of the chair by not having a left-to-right member below the seat support and rearward of the portion of the seat that normally corresponds to the body portion that exhausts human waste. In another such embodiment, the chair has a pair of rails under the seat that are spaced apart to receive and support a commode pot. The rails are suspended below the seat by a distance sufficient to provide clearance between the lip of the commode pot and the seat to prevent capturing or pinching any hanging body parts of the seat occupant.

Problems solved by technology

Incontinent accidents commonly occur when persons are bathed in warm flowing water because of the relaxation of the body.

These pots are not often used because of the pinching that occurs when the pot is removed with the person seated in the chair.

It is the most serious cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and can lead to pseudomembranous colitis, a severe infection of the colon.

The person has contaminated hands, which handles food and / or medicine, which causes the contamination to be ingested, thereby infecting the person.

The overgrowth is harmful because the bacterium releases toxins that potentially causes bloating, constipation, and diarrhea with abdominal pain, which may become severe.

In elderly persons or those with frail immune systems, overgrowth of C. difficile often has severe, and sometimes deadly, consequences.

Many elderly or handicapped persons are not able to stand while being bathed.

Common bath chairs have a round seat or a seat that is open only in the front, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the caregiver to wash the perineal area of the person seated in the chair.

Such a seated position makes it difficult for the caregiver to wash the perineum of the seated person because access by the caregiver is limited by the seated position and the seat.

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